Building permits, zoning and septic rules in Lakewood, Colorado

At a glance

Building permits

Required except for very minor cosmetic work¹

Zoning

City zoning; standards vary by district³

Septic systems

Jefferson County Public Health; ask about permits for new or changed systems⁴⁵

Owner-builder

Owner-occupants may obtain building permits for work they perform; conditions apply⁶

Accessory dwellings

Conditional; maximum 1,400 square feet and 1 ADU per lot⁷

Applications and inspections

Use Lakewood eTRAKiT²

Who to call

Contact details are copied from each office’s official page and were checked against it on October 10, 2026.

Do you need a building permit in Lakewood, CO?

Lakewood requires a building permit for construction except very minor cosmetic work, and new homes and additions require plan review.¹ Lakewood owner-occupants of single-family detached homes may obtain building permits when performing the work themselves; townhome and duplex owners qualify only in some circumstances.⁶ For a new single-family home, mechanical, electrical and plumbing work must be performed by systems contractors registered with Lakewood.⁸ Ask the city building-permit office about your specific project before treating homeowner eligibility as permission to perform every trade.²

Who issues building permits in Lakewood, and how do you apply?

Use Lakewood’s building-permit service and eTRAKiT for city construction applications, plan review and inspection requests.² For a fee estimate, call the city building-permit office at 303.987.7500.² Lakewood building-permit fees depend on total project valuation, including labor and materials for construction and building systems.² Lakewood collects the plan-check fee before plan review begins and the building-permit fee and estimated use tax when the building permit is issued.² Request a project-specific estimate rather than assuming homeowner labor removes the valuation-based fees.²

Does Lakewood have zoning, and can you build an ADU?

Lakewood has city zoning districts with different development standards; the parcel’s district matters more than a citywide lot-size assumption.³ Ask Lakewood’s Planner-of-the-Day to verify the proposed structure’s setbacks, location and other zoning requirements.⁸ Lakewood allows accessory dwelling units conditionally in residential districts where listed as a limited use, with 1 ADU per lot and a maximum gross floor area of 1,400 square feet.⁷ A detached Lakewood ADU may not exceed 30 feet in height or sit in front of the primary dwelling, and must meet primary-structure dimensional standards.⁷

How do septic permits work inside Lakewood?

Jefferson County Public Health regulates septic systems inside Lakewood where the property is not connected to public sewer.⁴ A new septic system, repair, replacement or change affecting an existing system may need a county septic permit; confirm the proposed work with Environmental Health Services.⁵ Call Environmental Health Services at 303-232-6301 for septic-system questions.⁹ Before sale, Jefferson County requires inspection and a use permit for onsite systems installed more than 5 years before the sale date.¹⁰ Jefferson County also recommends regular tank inspection and pumping for systems inside Lakewood.¹¹

Building a home in Lakewood: what are the steps?

Start with Lakewood’s Planner-of-the-Day to confirm the proposed home’s setbacks, location and zoning requirements.⁸ Obtain water and sewer availability forms signed by the providers serving the specific building site, and prepare a stamped engineered soils report.⁸ Submit the Lakewood building-permit application and complete plans through eTRAKiT; new residential homes require plan review.² Include construction labor, materials and building systems in the project valuation, then pay the plan-check fee before review begins.² Request required inspections through eTRAKiT; Lakewood issues the new home’s certificate of occupancy after all required inspections are completed.²

What should you check before buying land in Lakewood?

For a Lakewood home site, ask the city Planner-of-the-Day to verify the proposed structure’s zoning requirements and obtain provider-signed water and sewer availability forms for the specific site.⁸ We could not confirm Lakewood’s rules for living in an RV, tiny-home occupancy, a general minimum dwelling size or private wells inside city limits; ask the Planner-of-the-Day about the intended use and the Colorado Division of Water Resources about a proposed well. For land outside Lakewood city limits, use the Jefferson County guide: county zoning applies to unincorporated land, while municipal zoning is separate.¹²

Watch-outs

• Do not apply Jefferson County’s unincorporated-area zoning rules to a Lakewood parcel; municipal zoning governs inside city limits.¹²
• Lakewood’s conditional ADU allowance does not confirm permission for tiny-home occupancy or living in an RV; ask the city Planner-of-the-Day about the exact proposed use.⁷
• A Lakewood owner-builder building permit for a new single-family home still requires registered mechanical, electrical and plumbing systems contractors.⁸

Sources

1. Permits for Homeowners (Lakewood), quoted and re-checked
2. City of Lakewood Building and Construction Permits (lakewood.org)
3. Complete Zoning Ordinance (Lakewood), quoted and re-checked
4. Septic Systems (Lakewood), quoted and re-checked
5. Septic Systems (Lakewood), quoted and re-checked
6. Permits for Homeowners (Lakewood), quoted and re-checked
7. lakewood.org (Lakewood), quoted and re-checked
8. City of Lakewood Planner-of-the-Day (lakewood.org)
9. Jefferson County Public Health - Environmental Health Services (jeffco.us)
10. Use Permit Program, quoted and re-checked
11. Septic Systems (Lakewood), quoted and re-checked
12. Zoning Resolution, quoted and re-checked

Written October 10, 2026 from the rules quoted below, each taken from an official source and re-checked by an independent reviewer. This is research, not legal advice: rules change, so confirm with the office before you buy or build.